DVcreators.net has been known as the world leader in Final Cut Pro training since the day Final Cut Pro 1.0 was released.

Shooting Awesome Video is the world’s best complete beginning course on shooting high quality video.

If your video footage looks like “Blair Witch” or “Cloverfield”, and you wish it looked more like “Amelie” or “Hero”, Shooting Awesome Video is the perfect learning experience. It is like a complete “consumer film school” for anyone who wants to dramatically improve the quality of the video footage they shoot.

Shooting Awesome Video is not meant for professionals. It was created for novices who wish to learn Hollywood secrets of camera operation, composition, lighting and location sound in a fun, family-friendly, fast-paced course. However, Shooting Awesome Video is such an excellent complete introduction to production it is the perfect prerequisite to more professional-level courses such as our DV Enlightenment lighting course.

Shooting Awesome Video was originally released on CD-ROM, and has already helped thousands of hobbyists, teachers, students, and budding filmmakers learn the essentials of shooting great-looking and great-sounding footage. The American Film Institutechose Shooting Awesome Video as the world’s best beginning production course for a program to teach Los Angeles District high school teachers about shooting digital video.

No one should learn alone. Each screen includes an ”Ask a Question” button that will post your question on our forums for us and thousands of other digital video creators to answer. You are always welcome to join us to ask questions, offer advice, and share tips with other students and your instructor.

Preproduction

Camera Operation

This section focuses on setting up your camcorder to get the best results in a variety of situations.

zoom

auto/manual modes

focus

exposure

shutter speed

progressive scan

white balance

filters

preroll/postroll

timecode

Camera Aesthetics

This section focuses on the art of shooting awesome looking video.

rule of thirds

face space

high, low and dutch angles

background considerations

getting coverage of a scene

shooting for the web

shooting tips

accessories

Lighting

This section focuses on using existing lighting, professional lights and ideas for low cost, high quality lights available from a local home improvement store to create magically beautiful footage.

3 point lighting

key light

fill

backlight

background light

the final lighting setup

shooting outside

making your own light kit

using foamcore

making a backdrop

Location Sound

In Hollywood, they say “sound is half the picture”. Yet poor sound is the hallmark of hobbyist video footage. This section covers ways to capture quality location sound, from effective ways to use the built-in mic to showing the use of inexpensive lavalier, wireless lavalier, and shotgun mics.

using the built-in mic

lapel mics

shotgun mics

handheld mics

audio examples for all mics

The Shoot

This section shows a “behind-the-scenes” shoot that demonstrates the techniques shown in the rest of the course.

You’ll see a complete shoot for a short comedic film, watch the director direct the actors, show shots being captured in location order, see a disappearing special effect being shot two different ways, with cool picture-in-picture views of the main camera, and the finished edit of the shoot.

Price: $19.95
Click here to ask a question about this course or production in general.

I have been using my old os9 version for years. That machine just gave out and the dvd won’t work on my newer osx 10.6 machine. Is there an upgrade available online or do I need to buy the latest version?

I wonder if you ll have a copy of Shooting Awesome Video on CD/DVD. I have purchased a downloaded version earlier this year. I find the learning material very useful, and now plan to send a copy to a friend who currently live and work in a remote corner of South East Asia. I have tried Amazon and Ebay with no luck. Thank you for reading this message.

I have enjoyed using both your “Making Awesome iMovies” and “Shooting Awesome Video” instructional DVD’s for several years in our Communications/Media program for digital video and filmmaking classes here. I have found these very helpful, beneficial and great overviews of the production process.

With the most recent Apple OS system updates, I can no longer use these… Are there updated units available which will work on current Apple systems? If so, how do I get these? Thanks for making a great product and I hope I can use tem again in the future!